Always
by eternite z
Summary: A month before SOLDIER's mission to the reactor, Zack invites Aeris for a visit. *Ch 2 uploaded!*
1. Admittance

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**++ Always**

A young man with raven-black hair watched as his superior filed through the orders strewn across a cherry wood desk. The man sat a while longer, not wanting to face the general's wrath if he disturbed him...not that he feared the general. In fact, within the last year, he and Sephiroth had become comrades. Yet Zack was sore from sitting and wanted to walk around. He hesitated, but decided to make a move to get up from his chair. 

"Sit." 

He obeyed, lowering himself three inches to reach the seat. 

Strict. He was always so ungodly strict. 

"I wanna get out of here before the Final Judgment. You think that could be possible?" Zack turned his head to face Sephiroth, but discovered his words were spoken to the older man's back. 

Sephiroth refused to face him, keeping his voice monotone. "With remarks like that, you may not live to _see_ the Final Judgment." 

He wasn't intimidated, although if Zack had been any rank lower than the general's Second-in-Command, he would have run for his life. 

Zack emphasized a sigh, causing Sephiroth's shoulders to slump as he turned to face him. The general's marine-colored eyes stared at him dully, making Zack wonder if the sigh was too much. "You _could_ offer to help. I'm not the only one going to the reactor." 

"Hey, I did help!....I made coffee," Zack answered smugly. 

"Oh, so very sorry. You need your rest, those lines at Starbucks can be straining." The general searched through a drawer on his desk. "I'll just continue marking our route for **another** two hours...." 

"All right," said Zack, rising from his chair. "What should I do?" 

"Shred these." 

The pile of papers Sephiroth pointed to could have kept a fire burning for days. 

"And my shredding papers will help you pick out our route?" he asked skeptically. 

"No, but your misery makes me feel better." 

Zack grunted irritably, giving Sephiroth another chance to annoy him. "Or perhaps you would be happier taking the Newbies out for wilderness training?" 

"Sweet Lord, no!" Zack yelled, a disgusted look crossing his face. The top papers on the pile swayed when Zack came stalking over to them. He picked up as many as he could without them dropping and lugged them off to the paper shredder next to Sephiroth's desk. Taking an ottoman from a nearby chair, he sat down, turned on the machine, and began shredding. No matter what rank he was or what status he kept, somehow or another, Zack was reduced to shredding papers for someone else. 

"I don't have much to finish. When I'm done, you can leave," Sephiroth muttered, creating a red circle around a mountain pass on his map. "Do you prefer ground monsters or aerial monsters?" 

Zack remained silent, continuously loading the paper shredder. 

"The silent treatment doesn't work on me. In fact, it's quite nice not hearing your whining," he added, his lips curling ever so slightly. If one hadn't been looking for it, they wouldn't have noticed his smile. However, Zack was accustomed to the general's many moods, and caught the change in expression immediately. "I prefer ground monsters, myself; they're less of a hassle. So, we're going left." A dull scratching resounded from Sephiroth's pen. "That route should be quick and easy." He stood up and stared at Zack, who was still hard at work. "See...That didn't take too long. You are dismissed." 

He continued to shred. 

Sephiroth shrugged. "If you want to finish, that's fine with me." 

"I feel oppressed," Zack grumbled. 

"Then _stop_ shredding." 

"......." 

"I _demand_ that you stop shredding." 

Zack flipped a switch and pushed the pile of papers under the desk. "As you wish," he answered light-heartedly. It never ceased to amaze Sephiroth how quickly Zack's moods could change. He had a hard time deciphering whether he was serious or whether he was goofing off. 

"Get out of my house," Sephiroth said, shaking his head good-naturedly. 

"Apartment," Zack corrected as he headed toward the door. 

"Thank you for rubbing it in." 

"Oh, hey." Zack walked away from the door and back over to the general. "My girlfriend's gonna be in town and I was wondering if I could give her a tour." 

His question was answered by an eyebrow raise; not a good sign. "You want to bring an unauthorized person into this facility?" 

"I haven't seen her for a month and we're leaving for Niblehiem soon...She won't be a hassle, I promise! C'mon, I need your approval!" 

"If President Shinra found out, I would blame the entire thing on you...meaning that not only would you be discharged from SOLDIER, but Shinra would most likely assassinate both you and your girlfriend....So as not to let any information seep out, of course." He said it very matter-of-factly, as if it were just the way of the world. 

The younger man squinted his eyes. "...Is that a 'yes'?" 

"Did I _say_ 'yes'?" 

"Now you did." He smiled. "Thanks, man!" Zack attempted to leave the room as quickly as he could. 

Sephiroth pointed to the space in front of him. "Get back here." 

Sighing, he stopped, bringing his eyes to meet Sephiroth's. 

"I would never, under any circumstances, permit a civilian to enter this training center-" 

Zack's fists tightened, ready to be let down. 

"However, considering the camp is **my** responsibility, the president never comes around, and it would keep you away from me for a few days... I suppose...she could stay awhile." 

"F-for real?" he laughed. "Thanks, I honestly didn't think you'd agree!....Hey, Seph....How about giving me my own-" 

"No." 

"Okay, that's fine. I understand," he said, nodding his head. "Thanks again, man. Is tomorrow all right for her arrival?" 

Sephiroth sighed. "It doesn't matter," he answered, waving his hand. 

"She's gonna wanna meet you. Ya know, the Great Sephiroth alive and in person." 

The general became suspicious. "Did you promise her that?" 

"No, it's just...I want you to meet her. She's really somethin' special." 

Walking over to his desk, Sephiroth pulled out a small electronic planner and searched through the dates. "I believe I'm free at 1:30, then again for dinner." 

"Cool...So, you can meet her at 1:30, then we can all go out for dinner at 6:00." 

"Are you sure you want me tagging along for dinner?" 

"It's only _one_ dinner." He shrugged. "That leaves 29 without you." 

Sephiroth raised his head to address Zack, his brow creasing slightly. "An entire month?" 

"Er...y-yeah..." he choked. 

The general sighed deeply. "Have it your way. You'll need to rent a room in our apartment complex for her stay. I'll be at the cafeteria tomorrow at 1:30 and will expect to see you there." He turned off the computer and set it back into the top drawer. "I'll give you a guest pass," Sephiroth said, writing his signature on the bottom line of the paper. "Show it to the guard at the front gate when she comes in." 

He handed the pass to Zack, who read over it carefully. "Great, looks like I'm all set!" He opened the door again, this time stepping out into the hall. "You're not gonna regret it, she won't be any hassle!" 

"Yes, whatever you say." 

Zack shot Sephiroth a smile before closing the door behind him. 

+++++++

With a screech and a roar, the small blue vehicle halted between two white lines. Aeris Gainsborough kept her nails wrenched in the dashboard whilst Zack proceeded to close the windows and unlock the doors. 

He turned to her smiling. "Here we are!" 

"Yes, and somehow we're still alive..." she replied quivering. 

Zack chuckled in response and let himself out of the driver's seat. He then strolled over to the passenger side and opened the door. He waited for Aeris to climb out, but she sat silently, seemingly not aware of his presence. 

"C'mon," Zack encouraged, motioning a hand toward him. 

Almost strainfully, Aeris pried her fingers from the car and reached out toward her boyfriend. "This is a very nice garage..." She smiled warmly. 

"Yeah, I've got my own spot. Can't get within a mile of the theater when I go to the movies, but I jump up to First Class and they practically throw a parking place at me." Zack laughed lightly, making Aeris relax a little. "Of course, it's closer to the training facility than the movie theater, but I guess it'll do." 

They took the stairs to the ground level of the garage and entered a small building across the way. Crisp, almost freezing air, pricked Aeris' neck as she entered. It had been an unbearably hot summer and apparently the workers hadn't gotten around to turning off the air conditioning. She sighed. Shinra could afford to keep the air running nonstop for another fifty years. Power-hungry mongrels. 

"Hello, Zack!" a man in his mid-thirties greeted cheerfully. Zack returned the gesture and handed the man a small paper. "Ah, so who is your friend?" he questioned, looking Aeris over briefly. 

"This," Zack replied, bringing her closer, "is my girlfriend, Aeris Gainsborough." His proud grin made Aeris smile, too. "Seph said she could stay for a bit. Do you have the room I reserved?" 

The older man laughed good-naturedly, waving his arms in the air. "Of course, of course!" He walked over to a wall covered in slots and picked up a key card. "There you go. Hopefully everything will be to your liking!" 

Zack handed the card over to Aeris, who kept it in her hand due to the lack of pockets on her faded pink dress. "Thanks, Ben, I'll see ya tomorrow." He placed a hand on Aeris' shoulder and led her out of the room. 

+++++++

"Sir?" 

"Yes? Make it quick." 

A young man dressed in red meekly approached the general. The boy mused shortly the appearance of the man before him. He looked like Death....if one could see Death. Clad in black boots, black pants, a black cape; the nightmarishly dark color was not the reason people feared him. 

A silent slice of the legendary blade, masamune, sealed the fate of a monstrous animal. It fell limp by Sephiroth's feet, allowing the messenger to come forward without fear of being eaten. 

"I..." he trailed off, feeling the general stare coldly at him. "I have a letter for you, Sir!" Sephiroth snatched the envelope from the boy's hand, causing him to jump slightly. "Shall I relay your reply, Sir?" 

"No," he said, not even bothering to open the letter. 

"Yes, Sir." The teenager turned to leave, trying his best to ignore the screeches he heard behind him. The general would make short work of those creatures. 

+++++++

"We'll wait for Seph here. It annoys the hell outta him!" 

"I don't really want to _annoy_ him. Won't that be a bad first impression?" 

He shrugged carelessly. "This is where **I** first met him." 

"I see..." she said, giving him a sly grin. 

Zack smiled and slumped against the wall next to Sephiroth's apartment door. "He should be back soon, I don't think he took the troops out too far." 

As if on cue, the general came storming towards them, the envelope still clenched in his fist. He had noticed the two several feet away, but didn't change his pace. 

"Hey, Seph! How'd it go?" Zack greeted. 

Sephiroth stopped in front of him and shook his head. "Idiots. All of them," he muttered. 

"Ah, they'll get better!" Zack encouraged, slapping Sephiroth's back. 

The general grunted. Why was this man always smiling? And why didn't he listen to directions? They were supposed to meet in the cafeteria. 

"Hey, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Aeris," he said, waving a hand in her direction. 

Sephiroth turned around to face the young woman and greeted, as is customary, "Pleasure to meet you." 

Aeris returned the gesture then drew her attention back to Zack. She'd only just met him, but somehow Sephiroth made her feel uneasy. "Zack's told me a lot of good things about you." 

"Yeah, I told her not to believe what's in the papers. Like that one about how half of all trainees go home seriously injur-" 

He cleared his throat louder than necessary. "Yes...thank you, Zack." 

Zack stuck a hand in his pocket idly, rattling the keys to his car. "I'm gonna give Aeris a tour, so if you need me, you won't be able to find me." 

"Have nice time," Sephiroth replied in his usual monotone voice. He watched as they headed in the direction of the main building. When they were out of sight, he opened his door and sat down at his desk. Sephiroth decided now was a good time to open his letter. 

+++++++

End of chapter 1! There are probably a ton of errors, mostly dealing with the military. I'm not in the army and pretty much have no clue as to how it works... I know Aeris wouldn't be allowed in, but if she didn't come, there wouldn't be much of a story. ^^; I'm also not sure if I spelled Nibleheim correctly... Lol Chapter 2 should be more interesting as the gang heads off for dinner. :) 

Not only is this my first FF7 fic, but it's also going to be my first romance. Comments are appreciated, suggestions as to what will happen are appreciated too, although I can't guarantee that I'll use your ideas. Another thing is that I write scenes as they come to me and then try to stick them together. I'm not sure how long it'll take to get out chapter 2. 

Well, thanks for reading and hopefully you'll want to see more! ^-^


	2. Mood Swings

Look, I lived up to my promise! It practically took me forever to post this chapter! Yay! ^^; 

+++++++ 

"And this would be the cafeteria." Zack motioned a hand around the room. "It's empty now, obviously, but at lunch time, it's packed." He turned back towards Aeris. "Oh, and if you ever eat anything here and feel a pain surging through your body, chances are you've been poisoned. Just tell me or Seph and we'll try to heal you." 

"What?" 

He smiled. "It was a joke, hun. Relax." Aeris watched as he came closer, his hands landing gently on her shoulders. "You're not nervous about being here, are you?" 

She turned to stare him in the face. "Not really..." 

"So you are nervous, just not a lot?" Zack smirked. 

Aeris gave a withering smile, then grabbed his arm, urging him to show her the rest of the camp. 

+++++++

Letter opener. Where was it? 

Sephiroth searched through the drawers on either side of him, pulling old papers onto the floor for later shredding. He was going to file all of the older documents...just not today. 

"Where are you?" 

No reply. 

"Come out here right this instant or..." 

Wonderful. Not only was he _talking_ to an inanimate object, he was _threatening_ it, too. He couldn't deny it anymore; some of Zack's idiosyncrasies had rubbed off. Sephiroth shuddered and pushed that thought aside, again focusing on finding his letter opener. 

He did have one... Or maybe he had borrowed one from someone and just recently gave it back. Or maybe someone stole it. The general sighed and attempted to open the envelope with his gloved hand. By the time he finished, the entire envelope was frayed, with a huge tear running from the top of the flap and ending diagonally across the front. 

"I swear they use cement to close these things," he grumbled, unfolding the letter that was inside. 

He skimmed through its contents, which didn't take much time, for there was only four sentences. The general rolled his eyes in disgust. "They interrupt my training to tell me the mission to Nibleheim has been delayed? ...And waste a perfectly good piece of paper in the process. For Godssakes..." He crumpled the letter into a tight wad and threw it behind his back, then rested his head on his hand. 

Blue digital numbers flared 6:07. 

"Already?" he questioned groggily, directing all of his attention to the clock on his desk. 

6:08. 

Knowing Zack, he would meet Sephiroth at his door, which didn't give him much time to change out of his uniform. The general snatched a dark grey shirt and black pants from his closet and put them on. It always felt weird without the shoulder guards weighing him down and it took Sephiroth a minute to adjust. 

6:23. Still no knock. 

Maybe he could beat Zack for once and arrive at _his_ door before he barged into Sephiroth's home. Smiling smugly, the general flung the door open and hurriedly took a step forward. 

"Ready?" 

Sephiroth tripped a little trying not to run into Zack, who had parked himself right outside the apartment. He took a deep breath in, attempting to keep his surprise to himself. "Sometimes I think you're stalking me." 

Zack merely grinned in response and walked backwards, allowing Sephiroth to turn around and lock his door. When he faced them, Aeris smiled and waved in greeting from behind her boyfriend, to which Sephiroth nodded. 

"Let's go," said Zack. "Reservations are for 7:00!" He led Aeris down the hallway and the general followed. 

Zack was dressed well, but the outfit had been tailored to his liking; the pants a little baggy and the jacket unbuttoned. Aeris had on a dark violet dress with lilac trim on the sleeves. 

Sephiroth smiled slightly. 

She looked nice. 

...Considering she was from the Slums, of course. 

Sephiroth stared at the couple in front of him, particularly Aeris. She seemed pleasant enough. At least she spoke in full sentences and didn't wear thigh-high leather boots... The general cringed involuntarily, remembering the last girl his comrade was...'in love' with. Zack _did_ do his share of comparison shopping before he found Aeris, but at least he found her. She was someone Sephiroth could tolerate. 

"Whose car are we taking?" Aeris questioned as they approached the garage. 

"I'll drive," Zack offered, pulling his keys from his jacket. He went ahead of them, leading the way to his vehicle. 

"Didn't they revoke your license after the incident with the ice cream truck?" Sephiroth asked. 

Zack unlocked the doors and everyone got in. "Well...yeah...but now that eight months are up, I got it back!" 

An uneasy silence ensued. Judging by the way Aeris fiddled with the hem on her dress, she hadn't been informed of the car accident. The event actually made it into the newspaper, but only because of the argument Zack put up. He claimed that the accident wasn't his fault, that the ice cream man was _asking_ to be rammed because of the annoying "Pop Goes the Weasel" melody the truck played incessantly. ...Zack ended up losing the court battle, but he cut out the tiny newspaper article and stuck it in his scrapbook anyway. 

Sephiroth shrugged carelessly. "_I'd_ offer to drive, but I really don't want to deal with the lunatics on the road..." He paused and smiled slightly, realizing he was letting another lunatic on the loose. "So...go ahead, Zack. Knock yourself out." 

Aeris muttered, "Famous last words..." and dug her nails into the seat cushion as they sped off. 

+++++++

The evening progressed smoothly. Zack led the conversation, but Aeris would occasionally throw a question Sephiroth's way. Both Zack and Aeris felt guilty for not paying him more attention, yet he didn't seem to mind and they had a lot to catch up on. 

When the main course came, the table grew completely silent. Everyone was too absorbed in their meal to carry on the discussion. Sephiroth noted Zack glance at Aeris' plate and knew it was only a matter of time before he requested a taste. 

"Can I have a shrimp?" Zack questioned. 

Like clockwork. 

"Oh, sure." She brought her plate closer to him and he picked one up. 

He stared at the cold shrimp, flipping it over again and again. When the inspection failed, Zack exchanged the small marine animal for another, bringing strange looks from Aeris. He nodded to himself, proud with his selection, and proceeded to fling the shrimp at the general. 

Fwap. Sephiroth's head jerked up upon impact. A confused expression painted his face as he picked the flying food off of the table. "What was that for?" 

"No reason, really. Just always wanted to do that." 

Zack heard Sephiroth mumble something incoherently. It sounded angry, but he quickly eliminated the fact that it could be an obscene word, as he'd never heard the general swear. 

"Didn't mean to piss you off," he apologized. 

Sephiroth answered him with an eyebrow raise. 

"Okay, so I did wanna piss you off, but you don't have to take it so hard." 

"......" 

"Lighten up, you're not on the base anymore." He grinned and gave Sephiroth a friendly push. The general let his body sway, exaggerating his annoyance. A giggle escaped Aeris. 

"Forgive me. Next time, I'll introduce the shrimp to my steak and then leave them alone so they may get better acquainted." 

She smiled, watching him wave the shrimp near Zack's face. They were just like children. While Zack was more outspoken than Sephiroth, the general seemed to encourage his antics. 

"So..." started Zack, snatching the shrimp from Sephiroth's hand. "Who's paying the bill?" 

+++++++

Dropping the phone on its receiver, Aeris stretched lazily, then turned over. Leave it to Zack to call her at 7:00 in the morning. He didn't disturb her for nothing, of course. He invited her to breakfast in the cafeteria, and although she wasn't thrilled about having to meet him in _fifteen minutes_, she agreed. 

Aeris groaned, forcing herself to sit up and shake off the sleep. "Ten minutes," she sighed, rechecking the clock on her night stand. She hurried in and out of the bathroom, grabbed a matching outfit from her suitcase, put it on, and stepped out the door. 

Standing right across from her apartment was General Sephiroth, a stack of papers in his hands. 

"Good morning, Miss Gainsborough," he greeted upon seeing her. "Come here, please." Sephiroth motioned for the young woman. 

Aeris smiled warmly and walked over to him...only to be rewarded with a sharp strike of his hand to her face. 

She stumbled, but the wall kept her from falling over completely. "What I do?!" she screeched, greatly offended and confused by his actions. 

"Passed the test," he replied simply, directing his attention to the note pad nestled in his arm. 

Tears threatened to stream down her face, but she held them back, not wanting Sephiroth to feel she would be easy to push around. "That hurt!" she shouted, informing him of what he probably knew due to the loud crack that had resounded. Aeris rubbed the burning skin on her cheek, which only made it feel worse. She walked back over to the general, a murderous look on her bright red face. "Being struck is a test?" she huffed, lowering her hand. 

"Yes. If you had lashed out at me, then you might not obey orders on the battlefield." 

Quizzical eyes met stoic ones. 

"You had a very good answer, what did _you_ do," he said, his tone taking a drastic change. "I am always correct during battle. Do not question my orders." 

He was a perfect gentleman last night, she thought. Why is he being so moody? "What if I have a better idea than what you suggest?" she asked, knowing it would only anger him further. 

"That's never happened... And I don't believe it will start with you." He ignored the sneer she gave in response and continued. "I can't have you running around unsupervised while Zack is on duty. I've taken the liberty of signing you up for a few classes." 

"What kind of classes?" she asked suspiciously. 

"Battle training, of course," he snorted, annoyed with her naiveté. Sephiroth handed her the papers he had been carrying and proceeded to turn and begin hastily down the hallway. "Training begins at five a.m. tomorrow," he yelled. 

Aeris tilted her head to watch him leave, a sigh escaping her lips. It was only seven o' clock and by the way he acted towards her, she decided he was not a morning person. Her hand fumbled absently, trying to find the handle to her apartment without help from her eyes. 

Sephiroth continued on his way, not wanting to look back. Maybe he was too harsh... No, authority had to be established in the beginning. Between classes they could be friendly, but during training he was the teacher and she was the student. 

Nothing more. 

+++++++

Hmm...Aeris doesn't want to be pushed around, but Seph wants control over her. That could pose a problem. ^^; 

Ch 3 - Breakfast conversation! Aeris starts her training and bonds with a few of the other trainees! o.O; Ah, what fun! 

< Prev 1. Admittance2. Mood Swings

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